Jeff State group helps promote alternative fuels

By Amy Jones (Contact) | Shelby County Reporter

Published Monday, November 17, 2008

HOOVER — Jefferson State Community College is doing its part to spread the word about alternative fuels.

The college is leading by example, with its culinary department donating all its used cooking oil to the city of Hoover to be converted into biodiesel fuel for city vehicles.

Also, a business student group called Students In Free Enterprise does marketing for the city’s biodiesel fuel program.

Students do their best to get the word out about the program, said business major Savannah Aaron.

“We do educational projects in the community,” she said. “We’re increasing the awareness of the biodiesel fuel project. It was a really worthwhile program, but they didn’t have the marketing tools to promote it.”

Members of Mildred Lanier’s marketing class designed a brochure and flyer to promote the biodiesel fuel program, and members of SIFE make trips to talk to schoolchildren and different restaurants about donating used cooking oil to Hoover.

“It’s the college’s way of trying to make a difference in terms of alternative fuels,” Lanier said.

Members of SIFE said they enjoyed working on this marketing project because it’s relevant to the real world.

“It was nice that you can actually relate to what’s actually going on,” Aaron said.

The project also gives business students a foray into the real world of marketing.

“If you’re going into marketing, it’s good to say you’ve made something the city of Hoover actually used,” said student Sara Clark.

Members of SIFE have gone to the Hilltop Montessori School on Highway 119 to speak with students there about conserving cooking oil — or, rather, getting their parents to do so.

“We’re teaching and exposing the children about what the future’s going to look like,” Lanier said.

Marketing the biodiesel fuel project has also paid dividends for the club against other SIFE clubs.

The Jeff State SIFE traveled to Atlanta to compete in SIFE regionals by presenting their work with the biodiesel project, coming away with top honors. Next, it was on to Chicago and national competition, where Jeff State garnered second place out of all community colleges.

“We got a lot of exposure because we went to Chicago and talked to different people about it,” Aaron said. “You get out of Hoover and into places where they might not know so much.”

Working on the project gives students a taste of what it’s like to change the world a little at a time, said Linda Dobyns, SIFE sponsor.

“It’s an opportunity to make a difference,” she said. “I would love it if cars ran off cooking oil. Then I wouldn’t have to spend $2.09 on gas.”

For more information on SIFE, contact Dobyns at 983-5951.

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